Mediterranean · Greece
Santorini & the Caldera
A WWII passenger wreck resting upright at 18 m off Nea Kameni
Santorini's diving is volcanic. Boats from Caldera Beach, below the Akrotiri cliffs, work the volcanic islets of Nea and Palea Kameni, the uninhabited Aspronisi on the caldera's western edge and the walls off Thirassia, while shops at Perissa, Kamari and Oia run the same sites. Most dives sit between 7 and 30 m in water that often clears past 30 m. The draw is the scenery of caves, lava and caldera walls, and the Santa Maria, a steel passenger ship upright at about 18 m off Nea Kameni.
About diving in Santorini & the Caldera
Diving here is boat diving, and the rides are short. From the dive station at Caldera Beach, a small remote beach below the cliffs of Akrotiri, boats reach the main sites quickly: Mansell Reef off Thirassia and the lava caves on the south coast are each about 20 minutes out. Every shop on the island uses the same sites and the same shared moorings, spacing their visits to limit damage to the sites, which means each shop's plan for the day decides where a diver goes. Anyone set on one site should ask ahead which shop is heading there, or request it.
Centuries of eruptions left an underwater landscape of caves, lava formations, seagrass meadows and cliffs. Steep walls follow the caldera along Palea Kameni, and around the Kameni islets the volcanic rock carries corals, sponges, lobsters and large colourful fish. At Aspronisi, wall dives run among volcanic rock covered in sponges and corals. Off Nea Kameni the Santa Maria, a 34 m steel passenger ship, rests upright on sand, and a tugboat wreck lies at 30 m.
It suits divers learning or newly certified: currents are generally mild, the lava caves stay within 10 m, and the main wreck is shallow enough for divers new to wrecks under guidance. Experienced divers get the tugboat, the caldera walls and visibility that reaches 40 m on good days. Divers who travel for fish numbers will find fewer fish than at more popular dive destinations; visibility, not fish life, is the strength here. Flying is not advisable within 12 hours of the last dive, so the final day is best kept dry.
Best time to dive Santorini & the Caldera
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Diving continues through the year, carried by visibility that holds in every month. The coldest water comes in late winter, averaging about 16°C. April opens the main season, with the sea around 20°C in spring. Summer brings the calmest conditions of the year and the warmest water, about 27°C in July and August. The season runs to the end of November, with the water easing back towards 20°C through the autumn.
Dive types & marine life
Nudibranchs and shrimps live on Aspronisi's walls, shellfish and invertebrates cover Adiavatos, lobsters live around Nea and Palea Kameni, and octopus are not uncommon on the wall dive. Groupers and barracuda appear at Aspronisi, and at Adiavatos on lucky dives.
- Wall
- Wreck
- Reef
- Cave & cavern
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Groupers
- Barracuda
Best dive sites in Santorini & the Caldera
- 1
Santa Maria
Steel passenger ship resting upright on sand at about 18 m (59 ft) off Nea Kameni.
- 2
The Volcano
Volcanic rock formations around Nea and Palea Kameni that form a sharp drop to 70 m.
- 3
Aspronisi
Uninhabited islet with nine sites from 7 to 30 m on sponge-covered volcanic walls.
- 4
Mansell Reef
Reef off Thirassia that starts at 6 m and runs down a wall falling to 200 m.
- 5
Lava Caves
Underwater caverns and chasms on the south coast, no deeper than 10 m.
- 6
Adiavatos Reef
Reef near the caldera rim covered in shellfish and invertebrates, with the odd barracuda or grouper.
- 7
House Reef
No-fishing reef off the Caldera Beach station, extending into the caldera; richer in life than the other sites.
Site guides
Reef
Rock carpeted in shellfish and invertebrates near the caldera rim
Sponge-covered volcanic walls around an empty islet on the caldera rim
Cave & cavern
Caverns and chasms cut into lava on the island's south coast
Wreck
A whole passenger ship sitting upright on sand beside the hot springs
How to get to Santorini & the Caldera
Santorini (Thira) National Airport has buses to Fira, where connections run on to the other towns. Standard ferries take 7 to 9 hours from Piraeus and fast catamarans 4 to 5 hours; all sea transport depends on the weather. Dive centres are at Caldera Beach near Akrotiri, Perissa, Kamari and Oia.
Photos from Santorini & the Caldera
jurvetson · CC BY 2.0
Jorge Lascar · CC BY 2.0
Questions divers ask
What certification does the Santa Maria wreck need?+
It rests upright at about 18 m (59 ft), within reach of certified divers of various levels, including those new to wrecks when guided. The tugboat wreck at 30 m is for Advanced Open Water divers.
When is the best time to dive Santorini?+
April to November is the main season, and summer has the calmest seas. Diving continues through winter, when the water averages about 16°C.
Is Santorini a good place to learn to dive?+
Yes. Currents are generally mild, visibility often passes 30 m, and shallow sites such as the lava caves stay within 10 m.
Can a diver choose which site to dive?+
All shops share the same sites and moorings at different times, so each shop's daily plan sets the dive. Calling ahead shows which shop is going where, and a specific site can be requested.
How do divers get to Santorini?+
By air to Santorini (Thira) National Airport, with buses to Fira, or by ferry from Piraeus: 7 to 9 hours on a standard ferry, 4 to 5 on a fast catamaran, weather permitting.
Sources
- Scuba Diving in Santorini — Greece Index
- Santorini Scuba Diving — Greeka
- Santorini — Wikivoyage
- Santorini Dive Center — Santorini Dive Center
- Scuba Diving Santorini - Atlantis Oia Dive Center — Atlantis Oia Dive Center
- Weather in Santorini by month — Greeka
Photo credits
- Aerial view of a ring of islands around a deep blue bay, with two small dark islets in the middle and a boat wake on the water by jurvetson, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
- Steep layered brown cliffs dropping into calm deep blue water, seen from a grassy hillside under a clear sky by Jorge Lascar, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
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